Apologies for the summertime blog hiatus, let’s dust this thing off. *cough, cough* Now that I have your attention, let me get a show of hands for the content creators. Keep your hands up. How many of you are doing this for the passion of creation? Awesome! Keep those hands up. Now, for those passionate creators, who is actually making a living off of their art? Did your hands get tired? Well, let’s face it, a lot of us content creators, who love to make art, are not able to give it the full go because of one thing or another acting as a stumbling block. Be it work, finances, family, mental blocks, lack of drive, overinflated perfectionist ego, or the critical creator that never finishes; there is always something to blame.

I admit, there are times when I want to create, but just don't. No reason why. I ask myself, "Why not just pick up the guitar and figure out a few chord changes and some lyrics to tell a story?" or "Instead of binge watching The Wire, Sherlock, and Trailer Park Boys, why don't I make a cool video or finish a song that is half done?" Part of it could be the energy/passion ratio, where you put energy into a project and the passion fades before you finish. Another part could be the fear of failure. Let me tell you all, famous or not, go ahead and swallow that tye dye colored pill that not everything you make is golden nor will everyone love everything you do. Learning to be brave and bold enough to create in the first place gives you fuel to give it a run. If you run out of gas, find some way to refuel.

One of the best ways to refuel is to work with other people who may have an excess of energy and alternative ways of thinking. This process is the whole point that Soul Funkin Dangerous even exists. Creative musical minds that had an excess of energy, wanting to make something to listen to for whoever wanted to listen. Sure, working with other creative types can be a challenge when clashes occur. Human nature at it's best. Nothing more rewarding that when a collective of ideas brew together and make something beautiful. Scientists, engineers, stagehands, electricians, horticulturalists and artists share this common thread (not to exclude any field, but you get the point)

Two heads are better, right? Being inspired by a class conference with Jack Conte, CEO and Founder of Patreon.com, I want to implore all who may read this to create and find people out there that like your work. Encourage yourself to keep creating, even when life tries to stop you. Through outlets like Patreon, following people like Tommy Darker, and believing that your creation is worth something, you can start to build your brand and your revenue. While it's not all about the money, it's takes money to live and create.

There's a reason behind asking about passion before making a living. Here's something to ponder...

Without passion, art is nothing.

Once you have the passion to create, other people can share your passion and help you continue to create. It's not about making buckets full of money. It's not about your face being famous everywhere. You may still have to teach lessons of your craft, sell some physical content, a combination of the 42 Revenue Streams for musicians or other avenues to fill the gap. Follow these rules for success:

Let’s talk some more about vinyl eh? My fascination began with my parent’s collection and a huge console stereo. Elton John, Emmylou Harris, The Who, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Beethoven, Tom T. Hall, The Beatles. There were also these books that were told on record, with sound effects, and a signal to let you know when it was time to turn the page. Stories like Peter and the Wolf, Briar Rabbit, and various Bible stories. My babysitter, Markita, introduced me to The Bay City Rollers, and KISS. Which explains why the first record I ever purchased was KISS, Destroyer. The collection grew from there to include The Police, Michael Jackson, and too many to go on. A random sampling of my open trunk of records has yielded such gems as Waylon Jennings, Johnny Mathis, Black Sabbath, Bowie, Edgar Winter, Willie, WoodStock, and Donna Summer You spent time just listening to all this stuff back then. It wasn’t just background noise. Vinyl was more than the music. The artwork on album covers were like a door into the recording. The liner notes would often contain amazing information. John Lennon plays guitar and sings background vocals on David Bowie’s Fame. All of the members of Missing Persons, except for Terry’s sister, Dale Bozzio, make appearances on Frank Zappa’s Shut Up and Play Your Guitar. Not to mention the printed lyrics. It’s basic multiple sensory stimulation. I guess the point is we were so much more connected to the artists back then and the artists were, more often than today, worth being paid attention to and actually had something say. Of course the biggest advantage with of a lot of vinyl being that you get to hear the WHOLE recording. The digitizing process REMOVES pieces of your favorite recordings! CONSPIRACY! Or not.

NBC, the oldest major broadcasting network in the country has their in house writers and add men attempting to whip the viewing public into a TV watching, text messaging, social networking frenzy. The sixth season of "The Voice" has the NBC yacht and men’s club crowd anticipating major gains to their already substantial coffers. The popular show is a favorite of fans of popular music. "The Voice" which features up and coming vocalists is hosted by Carson Daly or Ryan Seacrest I can't remember which, anyway the show is hosted by 1/2 of our generation's Dick Clark. The celebrity “coaches” provides the star power on The Voice. The coaches are all nearly contemporary pop vocalists of one stripe or another. They trade good natured barbs with each other designed to convey the respect that undoubtedly share for one another, all the while pandering to their own distinct fan bases while they pick their "teams" from the prospective "contestants".

I must confess, I don't know much about it. What I do know is, Music is not a competition. I may like something you hate, and vice versa. I would imagine that somewhere on this earth, there is someone making music that no one would like, But you know what? New fans are made everyday. NBC and Apple and the music industry figured out a long time ago how to make money off of passion. That is what music is someone's passion. See the thing is, in creating scenarios, like this show, they attempt to produce a product that everyone will like. Taken in large doses, music like this can cause prostate damage and bed wetting, especially in middle aged men, pining over their long lost love and squandered life.

In your own town, there are musicians every bit as talented as the ones NBC is powdering up like donuts and sticking under lights brighter than ones Uncle Bud's foot was under when he had his corns removed last July. Go down to your local tavern or pub and watch them pour out their hearts to you, Watch them sing the songs that we all know and love and listen to the songs that they wrote too. A culture and a country can be judged and in fact, summed up by it's artists.

Support you local musicians and live music in your area. Plastic and wires can never replace the experience of human connection and relating to a song being sung by someone who means it.